AQ problem

De Deraco

I've been havin trouble playing this hand recently i mainly play Tournaments and it has been a fifty/fifty hand for me. i seem to be picking it up UTG allot and when im well stacked its been good to me.
its the hand thats given me the most trouble lately i just cant decide how to play it im leaning towards small raises with and folding to it to a reraise or big raise. more or less exactly how i play AJ. i know of course the blinds position and player that raises you are a big part of deciding to fold or play the hand.

JuliusFranco

you really need to get out of thinking
"i do x with x hand in x position"
good players look out for such betting patterns and nail ya

sorry if i'm stating the obvious!

roryc

yeh shane shut the fcuk up or ill nail ya










u goin the mayfair tonight?

De Deraco

i mix it up plenty trust me, i just wanted another option as my play with this hand tends to be limited to fold or all in.
i guess there is no right answer to a general question like this just different tactics. im sure other players find this a trouble hand



cant make it tonight ill probably play tommorrow in the fitz 50 double chance

bohsman

Under the gun I would probably limp in and either get it all in if there is a raise or see what the flop brings

Hectorjelly

AQ is known as a trouble hand. Its too strong to throw away but very easy to run into AK with it, which is a disastor.

Ardent

Was watching the final of the WPT and Phil Ivey gets AQ. Commentator goes on about Ivey was having awful trouble with AQ in recent tournaments, going out with it, losing half his stack etc.

Anyway, after Ivey's sizeable raise, Juan Phan (sp?) goes all in with Kx I think. Phil Ivey calls and loses half his stack. A few hands laters, Ivey gets AQ again, goes all in and gets knocked out of the tournament.

When interviewed afterwards and asked about his rotten luck with AQ recently he simply says "I don't like it but I'll keep playing it". I think that's the only you can look at it.

Me personally, I'm quite wary of AQ. It's maybe a 4 X BB raise from me, no more than that. Been burned with AQ too many times.

Ste05

I think Ivey put it perfectly, I don't like it either but I play it too (very conservatively), there's no point limping with it, you're guarenteed to be outdrawn so, UTG I raise my normal amount as I would with any hand, be it AA, AKs or a steal (rarely UTG - but circumstances depending) and if I lose I lose, although it is vulnerable, there are technically only 4 hands you're a dog to - AA, KK, AK and QQ, and so I play it the same as AK, except when an A hits, I'm more conservative, and I try to put my opponent on a weaker hand or AK, (need to have a good read here). If you're afraid of this hand don't play it, but it is a premium hand in my opinion, and one that has been profitable for me in the past,

I suppose the golden rule of not falling in love with your hand applies more to this hand than any other. If I think I'm beaten I'm folding and not going to risk my tournament on it. (A rule far easier said than followed IMHO).

ocallagh

De Deraco wrote:

I've been havin trouble playing this hand recently i mainly play Tournaments and it has been a fifty/fifty hand for me. i seem to be picking it up UTG allot and when im well stacked its been good to me.
its the hand thats given me the most trouble lately i just cant decide how to play it im leaning towards small raises with and folding to it to a reraise or big raise. more or less exactly how i play AJ. i know of course the blinds position and player that raises you are a big part of deciding to fold or play the hand.

I tend to limp early, raise in late position. even re-raise the odd punter if you think he's stealing. don't get too carried away with it as HJ said.. I made a lot off AQ last night. I limped with AK in first pos. AA4 on flop..